In his bid to "stay relevant" and in the plans of national team head coach Bruce Arena, Clint Dempsey bagged four goals as the Americans earned four points against Honduras and Panama in World Cup qualifying play.

Before Friday's game against Honduras, I wondered whether the U.S. national team would bring joy to its fans, especially after seeing the sign at the entrance of Avaya Stadium announcing a $30 fee to park in the mud, added to that $86 ticket you bought if you didn't shell out for the more expensive seats.

As they train in San Jose for a crucial Hexagonal match against Honduras on Friday, the USA men are disgregarding distractions such as player absences and the math of getting enough points in the eight remaining games.

The history of RSL is one of remarkable stability -- just three head coaches since starting up in 2005 -- but its MLS Cup title and appearance in the Concacaf Champions League final are fading further and further as MLS gets bigger and more competitive.

Multiply the left-back debate with a few more positions each with several candidates and you'll have a matrix of myriad combinations and possibilities. Throw in a weekend of league games that could drastically alter the depth charts by the start of training Monday. This is USA Survivor 2017.

Four seasons without playoffs has left the fervent fans in San Jose discouraged, but a ray of hope shown through on a cloudy, rainy evening as the Quakes kicked off their 2017 season with an impressive 1-0 vanquishing of Montreal.

Eight different teams have played in the last four MLS Cup finals and last year, 2015 finalist Portland and Columbus both stumbled short of the playoffs. Seattle and Toronto FC don't seem capable of falling as far, but a bunch of teams believe they can wind up on stage in early December.